Bbhato yalli



R. VALLI.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1917. RENEWED FEB. 7, e920.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

LETED tiZPATES OFFEQE.

RENATO v'aLLI, or EAST rsjarirron, conivncricur.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented llfar.3tl,1920.

Application filed June 28, 1917, Serial No. 177,505. Renewed February 7, 1920. Serial No. 357,011.

To a]! Mimi/i it may comma:

lie it known that l. been oi the Ynitcd States, residing at llainpton, in the county of Middlesex anc State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Signals; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in

Figure 1 a side view partly in section of an automatic signal constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

This invention relates to an improvement in automatic signals to indicate changes which will be brought into'action by heat, gas or smoke, and particularly intended as an automatic fire-alarm, the object of the invention being to provide a simple arrangement of parts including an electric signal the circuit of which will be closed by increase of temperature, or by the density of smoke; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a cylinder 3 mounted upon a shaft 4-, the air from the cylinder being exhausted to create a vacuum. To provide for expansion and contraction, the cylinder will be formed with an opening in the top which is closed by a diaphragm 5 of flexible material secured to the cylinder by a binder 6. One end of the shaft projects beyond the cylinder to a greater eXtent than at the other end providing a long arm 7 and a short arm 8. The long arm 7 is pivotally mounted in a bearing 9 mounted on a frame 10 secured from the ceiling or other convenient point. The long arm 7 terminates in a contact head 1]. the upper face of which is adapted to close a circuit through a contact point 12, and the lower face to close an electric circuit through a contact 13, these contacts being connected with any suitable alarm arranged at some distant point, The short arm 8 of the shaft is connected by a link 14. with a balancing lever pivotally mounted in a bearing); 16 secured to the frame 10. Fixed to the outer end of the lever 15 is a weight 17 proportioned and ar- Rnwa'ro VALLI, a

ranged so as to maintainthe cylinder in a horizontal position, and the contact head' 11 midway between the contact points 12 and 13. Connected with the weight above the lever 15 and extending forwardly and downwardly toward the lever is a runway 18 in which is located a ball 19, and secured to the weight below the lever is a similar runway 20 extending upward toward the lever, and in this runway is a ball :21. To lock the device out of action I provide a hook which may be controlled by cords 23 so as to be moved into and out of engagement with the lever 15. The hook being disengaged from the lever 15, the cylinder will normally stand in a horizontal position with the contact head 11 midway between the contact points 12 and 13. In case of fire the heat rising will cause one end of the cylinder to rise, and if the right hand end rises the ball 19 will start to roll toward the weight 17, and this upward movement of the right hand end of the cylinder moves the contact head 11 against the contact point 13 so as to close the circuit and sound an alarm. Should the right hand end of the cylinder drop, the ball 21 in the runway 20 will move inward and cause the contact head 11 to rise and connect with the contact-point 12 and close an electric circuit to the alarm. The cylinder will be caused to move not only by heat in case of fire, but dense smoke or gas will also threw it' out of balance so as to sound an alarm. During the day-time, when it is desired to lock the device out of operating condition, the hook 22 may be turned to engage with the lever 15 so as to prevent n'iovenient of that lever, and hence prevent the contact head from moving into engagement with either of the contact points 12 and 15. 1

The purpose of providing the cylinder with a flexible diaphragm is to compensate for gradual changes in the temperature of the room in which the indicator is placed. That is to say, if the temperature gradually increases, the diaphragm will expand so as not to throw the cylinder oil of its balance; or, on the other hand, should the room gradually cool oif, the diaphragm will con tract and the cylinder still maintain its balance, but, in case of fire or dense smoke, the atmosphere of the room will be so suddenly changed that the air inside the cylinder will not be effected in time to prevent the cylinder from being thrown oil its balance and so as to close the circuit and sound an alarm.

I claim:

1. An automatic signal con'iprising an air-tight cylinder, a shaft on which the cylinder is mounted, said shaft forming a long arm at one end and a short arm at the opposite end, a ifran'ie in which the long arm is praotally supported, the long arm termihating in a contact head, contact points aboi'e and below said head with either of which said contact head may engage, a lever pi; tally mounted in the frame, a link connecting the short arm oi the cylinder With the lever, a counter-balancing Weight secured to the outer end of the cylinder, reversely inclined runways arranged above and below the lever and a ball in each runway.

2. An automatic signal comprising an air-tight cylinder provided With a flexible diaphragm, a pivotally supported shaft on which the cylinder is mounted, a contact head on said shaft, contact points above and below said head with either of Which said contact head may engage, and means to counterbalance the said cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

RENATO VALLl.

Witnesses JOHN W. lVALL, GUIDo VALLI. 

